Refrigerator cabinet



Alig. 27, 1940. H. D. WHITE 2,212,964

REFRIGERATOR CABI NET Filed Nov. 2, 1938 INVENTOR7 HOWARD D. Wr-I/TE ATTORNEY ?atented Aug. 27, 1946 REFRIGERATOR CABINET Howard D. White, Springfield, Mass, assignor to Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Company, East Pittsburgh, Pa.-, a corporation of Pennsylvania Application November 2, 1938, Serial No. 238,364

1Claim. (01.220-9) My invention relates to refrigerator cabinet construction and particularly to the construction and assembly of the breaker strips for closing the space between the inner and outer shells of a re- |5 to form a flange IS in theplane of the front of the cabinet ii. The outer shell I6 is bent in a U-shape as shown at IE to form a pocket 2| whichextends completely around the door opening. The inner shell or food liner l-I islikewise bent .at right angles peripherally of the door opening I to form a flange 22 in the plane of the front of the cabinet and extending toward the flange I8 on the outer shell. A breaker strip nails is-dispensed with and which lies parallel to the front surfaces of the cabinet. Furthermore, the construction is readily assembled, neat in appearance, and provides an efiicient heat break and seal for the refrigerator cabinet.

5 frigerator cabinet. 23 connects the inner and outer,shells l6 and It is an object of my invention to provide an l1 and is preferably formed of a material impregimproved breaker strip assembly wherein the use nated with a resinous condensate product, so that of screws, nails and like for fastening the breakthe breaker strip is non-metallic and non-hygro-, erstrip to the cabinet are dispensed with. scopic. Preferably a flat strip 23 is provided at It is another object of .my invention to prothe top, bottom and each side of the door open- 10 vide a breaker strip assembly which effectively ing l5 and corner clips 24 cover the meeting edges prevents the entrance of moisture and air into of the four breaker strips. the heat insulation of the refrigerator cabinet. The outer marginal edge 25 of the breaker strip It is still another object of my invention to pro---' 23 extends into the pocket 2| in the outer shell vide an improved breaker strip construction from l6 as shown in Fig. 2. A strip of metal 26 bent 15 the standpoint of appearance and to insure that to the cross section shown in Fig. 2 receives the the breaker strip will not move or rattle in the inner marginal edge 21 of the breaker strip 23 normal use of the refrigerator. and also receives the flange 22 on the inner shell- It is a further object of my invention m proto retain one end of the breaker strip 23 in vide improved breaker strips which are easily position. I 20 and quickly assembled to refrigerator cabinets. A plurality of metal springs 28 bent? to the It is also an object of my invention to provide shape shown in Figs. 3'and 4 are disposed in the improved breaker strip assemblies for refrige'rapocket 2| in the outer shell l6. A hairpin-shaped tor cabinets of the type wherein the breaker strip portion 29 of the spring 28 forces the breaker lies in the plane of the door opening. strip 23 transversely of its cross section against 25 These and other objects are efiected by my in-- the inner faceof the pocket 2|, thus sealing the vention as will be apparent from the following heat insulation from the infiltration of moisture description and claim taken in accordance with and air. Outwardly extending wings 3| of the the accompanying drawing forming a part of spring 28 force the breaker strip 23 longitudinally 30 this application, in which; of its cross section and retain the edge 21 and 30 Fig. 1 is a front view of a refrigerator cabinet the flange 22 of the inner shell I"! in engagement showing my improved breaker strip construction; with the metal strip 26. It is thus apparent that Fig. 2 is a partial sectional view on line II-II the breaker strip 23 is held tightly in position and of Fig. 1 with the cabinet door in its closed posiis disposed in the plane of the front. surfaces of tion; the cabinet ll. 35

- Figs. 3 and 4 are detail views of a. metal spring The breaker strip. 23 is preferably assembled preferably us in the breaker strip construction. on the cabinet'in'the following manner. The

Referring s eciflcally to the drawing for a destrip of metal 26 is first placed on the inner edge tailed description of my invention, numeral ll 21 of the breaker strip 23 and the springs 28 are 40 designates generally a refrigerator cabinet em disposed in the pocket 2|. The outer marginal 40 bodylng a food compartment l2 containing an edge 25 of the breaker strip is then inserted in v porator I3 and having a r H for in the pocket 2| and the springs 28 are compressed a door opening IS. The cabinet His formed by forcing the breaker strip inwardly until the by an outer shell l6 and an inner shell or food strip of metal 26 may be snapped in place on the 5 liner "with heat insulation disposed between the flange 22. The four breaker strips 23 are asinner and outer shells. The food liner I! is supsembled in this manner and the comer clips 24 ported within the outer shell "5 in any suitable are fastened to the cabinet. manner (not shown). From the foregoing it will be apparent that The outer-shell |6, as shown in Fig. 2 is bent I' have provided a breaker strip construction of at right angles peripherally of the door Opening novel construction'in which the use, of screws and 50 While I have shown my invention in but one form, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that it is not so limited but is susceptible of various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit thereof, and I desire, therefore, that only such limitations shall be placed thereupon as are imposed by the prior art or as are specifically set forth in the aptowards the edge portion of the other shell, 9.

breaker strip for closingthe space between the shells, said breaker strip having a side edge thereof extending into said rigidpocket, means for securing the other side edge of the breaker strip ,to the opposite edge portion of the other shell and independently removable metal springs disposed in the bottom of said pocket and projecting between the breaker strip and said inwardly spaced member, said springs having two resilient portions one of which exerts a force substantially at right angles to the other, one of said resilient portions contacting the edge of the breaker strip which extends into said pocket and the other of said resilient portions contacting the adjacent face of said breaker strip, to thereby urge saidbreaker strip sidewardly toward said securing means and crosswise toward the inner face of the edge portion of the shell which forms said pocket.

HOWARD D. WHI'I'E. 

